


Hollow

by tveckling



Category: Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 16:28:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14359248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tveckling/pseuds/tveckling
Summary: “You’re the one thing that’s keeping me sane right now."





	Hollow

When Benvolio found him Mercutio was pale and hollow-eyed, his hands hanging limp at his sides. When he looked up with those empty, lifeless eyes Benvolio felt his stomach lurch. Neither of them said anything; there was no need, with them both knowing what had happened. Wasting no time Benvolio took Mercutio’s hand and guided him to the bed where he sat down, pulling Mercutio with him until Mercutio was lying with his arms around Benvolio’s waist and his head in Benvolio’s lap. Normally there would have been the inevitable jokes about blowjobs, but Mercutio didn’t say a word.

Slowly Benvolio carded his fingers through Mercutio’s hair, soothing, rhythmic, hypnotic movements. It wasn’t the first time he had been in this very situation, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. Even so he wished, with all of his aching heart, that there was something he could do, something that would help more than in the moment. Sitting there he felt so useless. He couldn’t even come up with anything to say, and Mercutio, the one who always had something to say, was silent. The atmosphere was heavy, choking Benvolio with the pain and despair, and he could only wait in silence for Mercutio to break through the surface of what was holding him.

His back was aching and he had lost feeling in his legs by the time Mercutio took a long breath, his hands tightening around Benvolio. “I couldn’t do it,” he said, toneless. “I tried. I fought it, but as always I’m powerless against it. It kills me, Benvolio, bit by bit, day after day. I can feel it, ever in the back of my mind, working away at me. I can’t-”

Benvolio closed his eyes as Mercutio’s voice broke, forcing back the tears. They would do no good to either of them. “You can,” he whispered, stroking Mercutio’s face. “You haven’t lost, you’re still fighting.”

“Because of you.” Mercutio turned his face into Benvolio’s hand. “You’re the one thing that’s keeping me sane right now. Always. Every time I need you, you’re here, holding me together. Even when I can’t do anything but pull you down with me, you still come here.”

“Of course I do. I love you, and I’ll never leave you to fight alone. I can’t do anything, but I’ll always be by your side.”

Mercutio was silent, but Benvolio didn’t mind. He knew that everything, including talking, was taking energy that Mercutio didn’t have. That he had talked, had acknowledged Benvolio, was enough for now.

“You being here isn’t nothing,” Mercutio said, abruptly, taking Benvolio by surprise. “You being here is everything. You’re never useless.”

Benvolio felt his lips twitch into a smile, and he almost chuckled. Of course Mercutio, even in the dark state of mind he was in, knew the troubles that plagued Benvolio, the thing he feared. Even as he lied unable to move he wanted to reassure Benvolio.

“In that case,” Benvolio said, straining but managing to lean down and press a kiss again Mercutio’s head, “I’ll stay here, however long you need me to. I won’t leave you.”


End file.
